This invention relates to dental apparatus for separating particles of precious metals from a mixture of debris, air and water drawn from the mouth of a dental patient.
Precious metals such as silver and gold are commonly used by dentists for filling cavities in teeth. Inevitably, during the cavity-filling procedure, scraps of these precious metals fall into the patient's mouth. Also, where it is necessary to drill in existing precious metal fillings, the particles of metal produced by drilling fall into the patient's mouth.
During operative procedures which involve the drilling and filling of teeth, it is customary to use a saliva ejector, a central suction unit and a dental spittoon. The saliva ejector is operated continuously to aspirate saliva from the patient's mouth, and the dental spittoon is used after the patient rinses his mouth with water at the conclusion of the procedure. Most metal scaps and other debris are removed by the central suction unit which is used intermittently by the dental assistant. Such a suction unit includes a short rigid suction tip which is inserted and manipulated in the mouth to the areas where debris has accumulated, a suction hose which is connected telescopically to the suction tip, a trapping device which filters debris from the materials in the hose, and a suction pump which creates a subatmospheric pressure to draw a mixture of air, water and debris from the patient's mouth into the suction tip and through the hose.
The composition of the debris collected in the trapping devices of central suction units will vary according to the use of the unit. The debris from operative procedures includes precious metals, ground tooth structure, ground cements, food particles and pieces of root sections. Oral surgery yields blood, gingivel tissue, suture clippings, pieces of bone, pus and other infection fluids. Prophylaxis yields calculus and cleaning materials. All of the above items are mixed with saliva, and all are caught by the known trapping devices of the central suction units. Customarily, such debris is simply discarded because doctors and their assistants are reluctant to remove the precious metal particles from the unpleasant collection of debris.
The present invention, in the interest of conservation and economy, prevents the loss of particles of precious metals by removing them from the debris drawn from the patient's mouth into the suction tip. The residual debris, i.e. normal debris without the precious metal particles, is eventually received and retained by the trapping device for eventual disposal.